AccuWeather says nor’easter could cause more power outages, dicey evening commute

The nor’easter that is spinning off the storm-ravaged New Jersey coast could dump enough snow and rain on Philadelphia to bring down power lines and cause more potential power outages, according to AccuWeather.

Forecasters said the smaller, but still powerful storm is expected to bring one to three inches of snow in Philadelphia and the suburbs to the south and east, and three to six inches to suburbs north and west. The mixture of snow and rain will likely turn into all snow and, combined with falling temperatures, could cause slick conditions for the evening commute. It could also bring winds gusting up to 45 miles per hour.

“There’s going to be some pretty slick spots for the evening commute and people going home from work,” said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Paul Walker.

New York and New Jersey ordered the evacuation of some low-lying coastal areas that were lashed by superstorm Sandy, but Walker said those areas appear to have avoided the worst.

“It turned out to be better than what worst-case scenario was,” he said.

US Airways canceled more than 200 flights at Laguardia Airport and Philadelphia International Airport due to the storm. Twenty-seven flights canceled for Thursday could be changed depending on how the weather plays out, the airline said.

By Thursday, the storm is expected to move off the coast of New England.